19 See my enemies, for they have been many, And with violent hatred they have hated me.
My soul `is' in the midst of lions, I lie down `among' flames -- sons of men, Their teeth `are' a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
but they were calling out, saying, `Crucify, crucify him.' And he a third time said unto them, `Why, what evil did he? no cause of death did I find in him; having chastised him, then, I will release `him'.' And they were pressing with loud voices asking him to be crucified, and their voices, and those of the chief priests, were prevailing,
and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they may take him up, for they were afraid of the people.
For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.
Preserve me, Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked, From one of violence Thou keepest me, Who have devised to overthrow my steps.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Jehovah, from an evil man, From one of violence Thou keepest me.
O God, the proud have risen up against me, And a company of the terrible sought my soul, And have not placed Thee before them,
And David saith unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, `Lo, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for Jehovah hath said `so' to him;
Mischiefs doth thy tongue devise, Like a sharp razor, working deceit.
And mine enemies `are' lively, They have been strong, and those hating me without cause, Have been multiplied.
When evil doers come near to me to eat my flesh, My adversaries and mine enemies to me, They have stumbled and fallen.
My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
A Psalm of David, in his fleeing from the face of Absalom his son. Jehovah, how have my distresses multiplied! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, `There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah.
and come upon him, and he weary and feeble-handed, and I have caused him to tremble, and all the people have fled who `are' with him, and I have smitten the king by himself, and I bring back all the people unto thee -- as the turning back of the whole `is' the man whom thou art seeking -- all the people are peace. And the thing is right in the eyes of Absalom, and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 25
Commentary on Psalms 25 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 25
This psalm is full of devout affection to God, the out-goings of holy desires towards his favour and grace and the lively actings of faith in his promises. We may learn out of it,
It is easy to apply the several passages of this psalm to ourselves in the singing of it; for we have often troubles, and always sins, to complain of at the throne of grace.
A psalm of David.
Psa 25:1-7
Here we have David's professions of desire towards God and dependence on him. He often begins his psalms with such professions, not to move God, but to move himself, and to engage himself to answer those professions.
Psa 25:8-14
God's promises are here mixed with David's prayers. Many petitions there were in the former part of the psalm, and many we shall find in the latter; and here, in the middle of the psalm, he meditates upon the promises, and by a lively faith sucks and is satisfied from these breasts of consolation; for the promises of God are not only the best foundation of prayer, telling us what to pray for and encouraging our faith and hope in prayer, but they are a present answer to prayer. Let the prayer be made according to the promise, and then the promise may be read as a return to the prayer; and we are to believe the prayer is heard because the promise will be performed. But, in the midst of the promises, we fine one petition which seems to come in somewhat abruptly, and should have followed upon v. 7. It is that (v. 11), Pardon my iniquity. But prayers for the pardon of sin are never impertinent; we mingle sin with all our actions, and therefore should mingle such prayers with all our devotions. He enforces this petition with a double plea. The former is very natural: "For thy name's sake pardon my iniquity, because thou hast proclaimed thy name gracious and merciful, pardoning iniquity, for thy glory-sake, for thy promise-sake, for thy own sake,' Isa. 43:25. But the latter is very surprising: "Pardon my iniquity, for it is great, and the greater it is the more will divine mercy be magnified in the forgiveness of it.' It is the glory of a great God to forgive great sins, to forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin, Ex. 34:7. "It is great, and therefore I an undone, for ever undone, if infinite mercy do not interpose for the pardon of it. It is great; I see it to be so.' The more we see of the heinousness of our sins the better qualified we are to find mercy with God. When we confess sin we must aggravate it.
Let us now take a view of the great and precious promises which we have in these verses, and observe,
Psa 25:15-22
David, encouraged by the promises he had been meditating upon, here renews his addresses to God, and concludes the psalm, as he began, with professions of dependence upon God and desire towards him.